Manufacture of metallic silicids.



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GEORGES success, or PARIS, T socrn 'rn ANONYIVIE LA. GOIVL PAGNIE onnnnnnn DELECTRG-OHIMIE on noses, or PARIS, FRANCE, A CORPORA- mon' or FRANCE.

MANUFACTURE OF METALLIG EILICIDS.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July is, 1910.

Divided and this application Serial No. 52%,66'5.

The known processes of producing metnllic silicids are subject to serious inconveniences which are avoided according to this invention. By way of example take the production of calcium silicid. :lt is well known that by heating;- :1 mixture, in definite jiropm'tions, oi lime, silica and carbon, in on electric furnace there is obtained calcium silicid (Cash) according to the following equation This method of production however is subject to a. serious inconvenience in that the silica and the lime have a tendency to unite directly and to form silicates of lime which are difficult to reduce; moreover the yield of calcium silicid is thereby considerably diminished. Such therefore practically suocessi'ul.

Now in the production of calcium silicid according to this invention the calcium or the silicon is employed in such a form that itcnnnot give rise to the production, in the presence of the silica or the lime respectively of a silicate or some other combination which is diflieult to reduce.

Tn a suitable Way of carrying out this in vention the calcium is preferably employed in. the 'l'orm of calcium carhid in place lime and the silicon in the form of metallic ilicon in place ct silica, The reaction t l 1" according to the following e recess is not the calcium carbid of eommerce,"which only contains, as is well known, about 85 (eighty- ,tive} per cent. of calcium carbid and (fit- I: per cent. of free lime and in the second case the silicon prepared in an electric furnace,

Although it is true that with the carbid Winn: ot' conunercc the formation of silic to of lime is not absolutely avoided nevertheless since the necessary calcium introduced in the form ot'lime is only in a very smull pro 'iortion in comparison with that. introduced in the form of calcium carbid (Cull it results that the production of silicates of lime is negligible.

l lxperiments made with calcium silicid have shown that this metallic silicid is eapnblc of replacing with advantage the aluminium usually employed in steel works for the purpose of preventing the formation of blow holes in steel ingots. The advantages ensuing from such application are, in addition to the economy'secured by the very low price of calcium silicid, very great rapidity of reaction and the suppression of the undesirable shortness which aluminium communicates to ingots of steel.

1 do not. claim broadly herein the process of producing n metallic silicid by a carbonsilicon-calcium mixture adapted to prevent the formation of a diliieultly reducible silicute; nor the specific form of carrying out the process by employing metallic silicon and lime, said process in its broad phase and in the specific method mentioned being claimed in my application Serial No. 427,433 above mentioned.

I claim herein:

1. The process of producing calcium silicid which consists in heating an intimate mixture contz'iining carbon, silica and calcium carbid adapted to substantially prevent the formation of a diflieultly reducible silicate, substaz'itially as described.

9 The process of producing calcium siliien consists in heating an intimate re containing carbon, silica and calcarbid of commerce adapted'to subprevent the formation of a reducible silicate, substantially as l. herein described process of producinga compound containing an alkaline earth metal and silicon, which comprises heating a metallic carbid of an alkaline earth with silica under proper conditions to produce a compound containing calcium and silicon.

4. The herein described process of producing a compound containing an alkaline earth metal and silicon, which comprises heating a metallic carbid of an alkaline earth With silica in the electric are.

5. The herein described process of producing a compound, containing an alkaline earth metal and silicon, which comprises heating calcium carbid with silica.

6. The herein described process of pro ducing a compound, containing an alkaline earth metal and silicon, which comprises heating together calcium carbid, silica and carbon.

7. The herein described process of producing a compound containing an alkaline earth metal and silicon, which comprises subjecting a mixture of calcium carbid, silica and carbon to the action of the electric arc.

S. The herein described process of producing a metallic silicid, which consists in causing carbon to react upon a mixture containing silica and a metallic compound, the

latter being employed in a chemical form adapted to prevent the formation of a (hillcultly reducible metallic silicate, when the whole is heated together in a furnace.

9. The herein described process of producing a metallic silicid which consists in causing carbon to react upon a mixture containing silica and a metallic compound, the latter in the form of a metallic carbid, whereby the formation of a diflicultly rel l ducible metalllc silicate is prevented when the whole is heated together in a furnace.

10. The herein described process of producing an alkaline earth silicid, which consists in causing carbon to react upon a Hilliture containing silica and an alkaline earth compound, the latter being employed in a chemical form adapted to prevent the formation of a ditlicultly reducible alkaline earth silicate, When the whole is heated together in a furnace.

11. The herein described process of producing an alkaline earth silicid, which consists in causing carbon to react upon a mi:\'-

- cultly reducible lime silicate, when the Whole is heated together in a furnace.

13. The herein described process of producing calcium silicid, which consists in causing carbon to react upon a mixture containing silica and acalcium compound, the latter in the form of calcium carbid, whereby the formation of a difiicultly reducible lime silicate is prevented when the whole is heated together in a furnace.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

H. C. Coxn. 

